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Heidi Gardner Reveals Her Persistence Brought Travis Kelce to the SNL Stage After Years
Heidi Gardner reveals she advocated for Travis Kelce to host Saturday Night Live for years. Find details inside.
Travis Kelce's hosting gig on Saturday Night Live in March 2023 wasn't a fluke. It was the culmination of years of advocacy from SNL cast member Heidi Gardner, who is a Kansas City native as well as a lifelong Chiefs fan.
On Amanda Hirsch's Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast, Gardner revealed that she had been campaigning for Kelce to host the show for a long time. Finally, executive producer and creator Lorne Michaels agreed with her—on one condition.
Gardner had noticed Kelce's hosting abilities from the time she watched his small acting roles and public appearances. They even made a joint appearance at the ESPYs for an announcement. The more she saw of him, the more she realized his charisma and comedic talent, according to Gardner.
"The biggest swing I ever did in that department—and it did work, but it took a couple of years—was Travis Kelce," Gardner said. "I don’t want to take full credit [from] the show and the talent department, but I’m just obviously a big Chiefs fan."
Gardner stated that Kelce is funny and charming, two characteristics she believed would make him the ideal candidate for the famous sketch show on NBC. She added, "I had seen him do other little acting gigs and appearances, and I was like, ‘He’s funny, he’s charming.’ I had done the ESPYs with him, announcing something together."
Though Gardner's efforts paid off in the long run, there was still one more challenge to overcome. "Lorne was like, ‘Well, he has to win the Super Bowl.’ And I was like, ‘That is so much pressure to ask!’ And then he won the Super Bowl!" she revealed.
Kelce delivered on that challenge, leading the Kansas City Chiefs to a Super Bowl championship. In March 2023, he hosted Saturday Night Live alongside musical guest Kelsea Ballerini.
Travis Kelce's episode was met with much excitement, with standout sketches including Straight Male Friend, which starred Bowen Yang, and Abby the Ex-Girlfriend, in which Heidi Gardner herself appeared.
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